Without A Leg To Stand On
by Sprocket3
Summary: Story by Yaridovich23, Lynn is diagnosed with bone cancer, necessitating the amputation of her leg which lead her to become heartbroken by that fact, Now Lincoln try to make his sister feels better.


Ever since she was just a little girl; Lynn was determined to play every sport she could. Fromm football to hockey, to basketball to soccer. The only sport she wouldn't touch was cheer leading, which she didn't consider a real sport. She had so many trophies that he space in the official trophy case got full, and some had to be stored in her and Lucy's room. She was the only major athlete of the family; and tried to rope all her siblings into her field without surrender. Poor Lincoln got the brunt of it; probably because he was the only boy of the family.

This Saturday was one of those days that Lynn tried to get her brother involved. Lincoln was just trying to read his comics in the peace of his room when a red, white, and brown blur busted his door open. "Lincoln!" It shouted, startling the young boy, who covered up his undies with his comic.

Lincoln gave the blur, now revealed to be Lynn as it was standing still. "Darn it, Lynn! How many times do I have to tell you to knock before coming in here!?"

Lynn gave a short laugh and wave of her hand. "Ah, it's no biggie!" She clapped her hands together. "Now hurry up and get your clothes on!"

"What? What for?" Lincoln asked, not liking where this was going.

"You're gonna play some football with me! Come on!" Lynn said, grinning ear to ear.

"Hey! I never agreed to do that! I'm in the middle of some very important business either way!" Lincoln retorted. He didn't promise Lynn he'd do this, did he? No...No, he'd remember if he had.

"Aw, come on, Linc!" Lynn started to plead. "When's the last time you did anything sportsy with me? It seems like you never wanna hang out!" She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.

Well that just made Lincoln feel bad. It was true, now that he thought about it. This was pretty much a daily thing; Lynn asking Lincoln to do some sports-related activity, only for him to turn it down. He let out a sigh. "Okay, fine. I guess today I can-"

Lynn pumped her fist, instantly sporting a wide grin. "Alright! Thanks, bro! Meet me in the backyard for some football practice!" Before Lincoln could reply, she sped off down the stairs.

Wait. That cheered her up WAY too fast. Did...Did she trick him? "Dang it." Lincoln muttered. "Last time I fall for THAT trick." He decided it'd be best to just roll with it, so he got up, got dressed, and headed down the stairs towards what would most likely be a lot of pain. He walked into the kitchen and saw Lynn pacing back and forth in the yard, throwing a football up in the air and catching it over and over. Really looked like she was antsy today. With a sigh, Lincoln headed out the door. If he had stayed and observed Lynn longer, he may have noticed the slight limp in Lynn's right leg as she paced...

After Lincoln closed the door behind him, Lynn instantly locked onto him and let out a whoop of excitement. "Alright! You ready, bro?! Let's do this!" She beamed the ball at Lincoln as soon as his feet hit the grass, which just barely meant to catch. "Banzai!" She charged at her brother and leapt at him, only to miss as Lincoln ducked and started running away.

Lynn quickly recovered and ran at her brother, starting to gain on him quickly. "Wait, where am I going?! Where's my "end zone"!?" Lincoln yelled, trying to avoid his sister.

"There is none! You just gotta keep running!" Lynn answered, now practically breathing down her brother's neck.

"That's not how you play foot-OOF!" Lincoln was interrupted as Lynn tackled him from behind, landing on top of her scrawny brother and knocking the wind out of him.

"That's how I like to play it!" Lynn said, looking down at her tackled brother. "Easy victory! Come on, Linc, you gotta do better than that!"

With a light groan, Lincoln tries to shove Lynn off, to no avail. He noticed something on the back of her leg, just below the knee. Some sort of bruised swelling. "Whoah, Lynn. Are you okay?"

Lynn looked confused, looking down at her body as if expecting to see some big scratch or something. "What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Lincoln pushed Lynn off of him while she was distracted. "On the back of your right leg. That weird swollen thing."

Lynn looked down at the swelling and nodded. "Oh, that! Nah, it's no big deal. I probably just got it during football practice...or soccer practice...or hockey practice...Or-"

Lincoln held a hand up. "Yeah, I get it." He stood up, dusting himself off and getting bits of grass off of his clothes. "Are you sure it's alright, though? It looks pretty bad."

Lynn made a "PSH!" sound and put her hand on her hips. "I can handle a little bruise, Lincoln. Come on, this is me we're talking about here!" She then picked up the football. "Now let's see if you can catch up to me, little bro!" She ran away suddenly, with Lincoln giving chase.

Lynn silently worried to herself when he managed to catch and tackle her for the first time in years.

That night, Lynn was lying in bed, looking over the swelling on her leg. Where did she get it? She honestly can't remember getting hit there at all in the last few days. It wasn't like she kept track of all her injuries, but missing something like this was odd. "Maybe I should get it looked at..." She muttered to herself.

"Looking over an injury, Lynn?" A voice suddenly droned in Lynn's ear.

"GAH!" Lynn practically jumped a foot in the air before turning to see Lucy right next to her. How does she keep doing that? Better question, how was Lynn not used to it yet? "Dam-DANG it, Lucy!" She caught herself, remembering not to swear in front of her younger sibling. "What do you want?!"

Lucy was, as usual, non pulsed by Lynn's reaction. This was practically a daily thing for them. "I saw you talking to yourself and looking at that wound. It looks really ghastly. Is it some sort of curse mark?"

Lynn rolled her eyes. "No, Lucy. It's not something from one your stupid horror stories." Sometimes Lynn really wish Lucy would live in the real world like everyone else. "It's not a big deal, really."

Lucy look down at the swollen area, though it was hard to tell with the bangs. "You seem worried about it. Are you trying to hide your pain like I do?" She gave one of the small smiles you have to squint to see. "Are you embracing your dark side?"

Lynn sighed. "No, Lucy. Stop being ridiculous. I was just trying to figure out HOW I got this. It's weird that I didn't notice getting something like this. Let's just leave it alone, okay? It's fine."

"Sigh. Once again you crush my hopes. I hope you're proud of yourself." Lucy complained, going over to her bed. Lynn rolled her eyes once more and prepared to go to sleep. She would be fine, right? She's had worse than this. Broken bones were no stranger to her, after all.

Three days later, Lynn couldn't get out of her bed.

Everyone was getting ready for school. With so many kids getting ready at once, no one noticed that Lynn wasn't there when everyone grouped up to leave. "Hey, has anyone seen Lynn?" Lana asked.

"I guess I DID notice a lack of balls flying through the air." Lincoln commented.

"She's never late. That'd make her a bad SPORT. Haha, get it?!" Luan quipped, grinning despite the groans of her siblings.

"Ugh! I'll go find her, I guess!" Lori said, starting to stomp up the stairs. "Lynn!" She called, approaching her and Lucy's room. "Lynn, what is TAKING you so long?!" She didn't hear any response. With a heavy sigh, she opened the door. "LYNN! I-" A loud groan stopped Lori's shout. She looked to the source, Lynn's bed. "Lynn...?"

Lori approached the bed, with a large lump under the covers. A red and brown mass peeked out from the covers. It was Lynn. Her face red as a tomato, and her hair and flesh slick with sweat. She was shivering terribly. After letting out another groan, she spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Lori...? Why are you yelling at me...?" She coughed, a hacking, scraping cough. "Why is it so cold?"

Lori's angry demeanor vanished in an instant at the sight of her younger sibling like this. How did Lucy not notice Lynn was like this? She went over and put the back of her hand on Lynn's forehead, quickly retracting it. "Yikes...You're burning up, Lynn. You have a fever or something..."

Lynn let out another groan. "No...I can't...I have football practice...And tennis practice...and-" She was interrupted by a fit of coughing, which caused Lori to get off the bed to avoid germs.

"Look, you can't go. You're sick as a dog. Dad is just gonna have to stay home today and take care of you, okay?" Lori responded. Without waiting for a protest, she left the room and made her way to her parents' room. Mom was already at work, but Dad's job had him come in a bit later, so he was always there in case one of the kids was sick. After a few minutes, she came back out to her other siblings.

"What's going on, where's Lynn?" Leni asked. "Is she MISSING!?" She gasped, which got a roll of the eyes from several of her sisters and Lincoln.

"No, you dolt! It's nothing like that!" Lori snapped. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lynn is just sick, that's all. Dad needs to stay home and take care of her. Lucy, how did you not notice her condition?!"

Lucy shrugged. "Shrug. I'm usually the first awake. I thought nothing of it when she was still in bed." She replied.

Lori sighed again. "Well, it's fine now, whatever. Let's just get going." She started to usher the rest of the siblings out, them muttering to each other about their sporty sister.

Lincoln looked up towards Lynn and Lucy's room as Lori pulled out of the driveway. He hoped his sister would be okay. He always was beside himself with worry when one of his sisters got sick. Still...Lynn is pretty strong. She's gotten sick before and always bounced back fast. She'd be okay...right?

It wasn't until the third day of this fever that there was a panic. Lynn had showed no sign of improvement, and the swelling on her leg started to look worse too. It was time for her to go to the hospital. The entire family got into Vanzilla, with Leni and Lori sitting in the back with Lynn, comforting her and trying not to cry. The trip was, aside from Lynn's groaning, deathly silent. No one dared speak, no one knew what to say.

When they arrived, the parents rushed in with their sick daughter, with the rest of the Louds following. The parents took Lynn further into the hospital with a doctor minutes later, while the other children had to wait in the waiting room. The ten of them got odd looks from the others in the room; not used to seeing ten children grouped together like that in a hospital. Each Loud nervously sat or paced about, wondering what would become of their sister.

"What's...What's gonna happen to Lynn?" Leni asked. "I don't think I've ever seen her so sick before." She was trying to sit still in one of the chairs, but one of her legs kept bouncing nervously against her will.

"Yo, you just gotta chill, sis. Lynn's gonna be alright." Luna said, placing a hand on Leni's shoulder. Despite her words, she looked worried too. "Lynn's always been a tough cookie, she'll pull through."

"Yeah, don't get worried sick over this! Being sick is Lynn's job! Get it!?" Luan said, trying to lighten the mood and giving a nervous smile to everyone. A couple of glares wiped that smile away. "Sorry."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Lisa said, looking over a notepad. She seemed to be the only Loud that wasn't worried, keeping her usual bored expression on her face. "Things like this happen often and pass over. Of course, fever-like symptoms could be something much worse and deadly. Such as-"

"NOT HELPING, Lisa." Lincoln scolded.

Lisa shrugged. "Fine, I was just saying..."

Lori glared down at Lisa, comforting a whiny Lily. "Well, don't. It's not helpful. You're freaking the twins out."

Lola and Lana indeed seemed the most nervous of everyone, having a rare moment of prolonged, friendly contact in the form of holding hands. Lola didn't seem to like that comment. "Hey! We're not babies, you know!" She snapped.

"Yeah, we're fine!" Lana said, letting go of Lola's hand, crossing her arms and pouting. Lola mirrored her twin, the two of them glaring up at Lori.

The eldest Loud sighed in a tired manner. "Yeah, whatever..."

It felt like hours before Mom and Dad came back to the waiting room...without Lynn. They looked more terrified than any of their children had seen them. Empty eyes, skin as pale as Lucy's...What had they heard? "Mom...? Dad...?" Lori asked, approaching them. "What happened? Where's Lynn?"

The parents looked at each other, seemingly unable to speak. After some sort of silent debate between them, Dad spoke up. "We...need to have a talk, everyone. It...It turns out Lynn was a lot more sick than we thought..."

Meanwhile, Lynn was further in the hospital, staring down at her legs beneath the covers of her bed. She gripped the sheets, knuckles white, hands shaking terribly. How could this happen? Happen to her? Her head was spinning, felt like it was going to fall off any second. Why did her life have to be ruined like this?

Why did they have to take her leg?

After Mom and Dad made sure everyone, even Leni, understood the severity of the situation, it was dead silent. Not even Luan attempted at a humerus joke to lighten the mood. Some of the girls, and Lincoln, started to tear up. Lily looked around at everyone, curious as to what was going on. It was finally Lori who spoke up. "This...This can't be really happening, right? This is just a bad dream or something..." She sounded drained of emotion and energy.

"How could they take her leg? There has to be some other way!" Lincoln added, trying his hardest not to cry. "Some other treatment...Something! Anything!" He couldn't believe this, he couldn't believe this, he couldn't believe this...

Lisa spoke up next, her usual facial expression shattered, sounding like she was trying not to cry. "In some cases, yes. Ewing's Sarcoma can be treated with chemotherapy like other cancers. In this case, it's not an option. I doubt anyone would understand the reasons, s-so...I..." Lisa ceased talking and just started to sob.

As the parents had explained, Lynn had what was called Ewing's Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. The swelling on Lynn's leg, then the fever she got, were signs of it. It was just that no one thought of something so serious. The best way to treat Lynn's case was amputation of her leg. She would survive, yes, but at what cost? The parents just couldn't afford any other treatment, it was their only option. The family was glad she was going to survive, of course. Everyone, even Leni and the twins (and aside from Lily), understood that the removal of Lynn's leg meant her dreams of sports fame were dashed. "Can we see her?" Luna asked, putting a hand on Lisa's shoulder to comfort her.

Mom and Dad glanced at each other. They both looked like they would break down crying any second. Finally, Mom replied. "We suppose so. It's just...she probably won't respond to much. You all have to understand that."

There was a murmuring of agreement among the siblings at that. It was better than nothing, they supposed. The parents lead them deeper into the hospital, towards Lynn. Each member of the family was dreading to see Lynn's emotional condition. The older siblings were trying to put on a brave face for their little sister, the twins were holding hands, Lucy and Lisa were holding back tears and shaking as they walked, and Lincoln was trying to calm his nerves. When they reached the room, Lynn didn't even look up at her family out in the hallway. Dad knocked meekly on the door. "Lynn? Hon? Your siblings are here to see you..."

Lynn didn't react. She just kept staring down at her legs, still as a statue. The Louds had seen her depressed before, usually when her team lost a big game. But nothing like this. She barely looked alive. Her eyes were like a corpse, completely lifeless and just staring straight ahead. At first, none of the siblings moved. Then, Leni took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Lynn...?" She approached the bed.

As this was happening, Lori pulled Dad to the side away from everyone else. "Dad...I have to know. When...Well, when is she...you know...The surgery?" Lori could barely form a sentence, she was shaking like a leaf, having had to hand Lily off to Mom on the way to the room.

Dad sighed and ran a finger through his hair. "Tomorrow morning. We have to get it done as soon as possible."

Lori's jaw dropped open. This was it, Lynn's last day before...she lost a big part of herself. "Oh...Daddy..." Lori muttered as she started to sob, causing Dad to hug her tight.

Leni, meanwhile, stood next to the ever-still Lynn, feeling too nervous to actually try and touch her. She tried talking again, seeing if that would work. "Lynn? Can you hear me?" She whimpered. "We all know what's going on...And we're all here for you. You know that, right?" No response. Leni looked back at her family, who seemed to be at a loss of what to do. With a sigh, Leni turned back to Lynn. "I love you, Lynn. Don't forget that, okay?" After waiting for a response that never came, Leni sadly walked back out into the hall.

The other sisters tried talking with Lynn. All of them were met with a deafening silence from their ill sibling. Even Lily cooing and patting Lynn's face stirred no reaction from her. Lincoln was the last to try anything before they had to leave. He sat down next to her, looking over his older sister. What could he say? No one else was able to break through to her. What chance did he have? He at least had to try, he supposed. "Lynn...I know this is is the worst thing to ever happen to you. I know I'll never understand how you feel, but...When you get out of here, I'll be by your side. I'll do whatever it takes to make the aftermath easier for you. Even if by the smallest bit if I can, okay?" A pause. No reaction. Lincoln let out a sigh. "I love you, Lynn. We all do." With that, Lincoln gave Lynn a peck on the cheek. He left the room, leaving Mom and Dad to tell Lynn they had to leave, but that they'd be back tomorrow. It wasn't until the car ride back that all of the Loud children found out that the surgery was tomorrow. None of them slept well that night.

Lynn, of course, had it the worst. It wasn't until after her family left that she finally started to move out of her frozen state. She raised her head, looking around the room. It felt like she was in some sort of dream. No. Some sort of NIGHTMARE. She just wanted to wake up, be back in her cozy bed, listening to Lucy sighing as she read some Poe story. She felt like running, running far away until she dropped from exhaustion. But she knew she couldn't do that. Where would she even go? She let out an empty, defeated sigh and laid down flat in her bed, staring at the ceiling. This was her last night as a whole human being. She closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep.

A part of her hoped the surgery would go wrong, killing her.

Luckily, Lynn's wish didn't come true. That morning, she was prepped and went through her surgery. The kids were not allowed to go to see Lynn the first day. The parents thought it would be best they not have to see their sister like that. The kids argued, of course, but could do nothing about it. After the surgery was over, Mom and Dad spent their visit simply sitting beside Lynn, as she passed out. The sight of her caused Mom to break down in tears. Before them was their daughter, pale as a ghost. She had tubes in her, an oxygen mask helping her breath. The worst part was the lump under her covers, which was missing a huge chunk of what should have been there. They just sat and soaked in their daughter. How she looked now. After a while, they had to leave, not even getting to speak to their daughter.

Back at home, the other siblings were on edge. They were all crowded in the living room, several of them pacing back and forth. "Do you think she's okay?" Luan asked. "I can't believe Mom and Dad didn't let us come..."

"I'm sure she is. Lynn is probably tougher than any of us." Lori commented. "If anyone can make it through a leg amputation, it's her." She still worried, however. She couldn't stop herself. She just wanted her little sister to be okay.

"Perhaps I should write some poems to help her emotionally drained soul." Lucy said, taking out a paper and pen. "I need to think of something that rhymes with amputation..."

"I...uh...don't think that will help much." Lincoln replied. "She just needs us all to be there for her."

As his sisters mumbled in agreement, Mom and Dad walked through the front door. The exhausted couple was instantly swarmed with their children asking them questions about Lynn. "Hold it, hold it!" Dad said, causing the kids to quiet down. "I know what you must all be thinking. The most important thing is that the surgery was a success." This got a sigh of relief from all the children. "We talked to the doctor. Lynn will make a full recovery and should be able to come back home in about two weeks."

"How is she...You know, emotionally?" Luna asked. "Did she say anything?"

Mom shook her head. "She wasn't awake. She was still recovering from the surgery. By tomorrow she should be able to talk to your father and I."

The kids started to cheer, except for Lisa, who spoke up. "Wait, what did you mean by that? "Your father and I"?" The question silenced the other children, who stared at their parents.

Dad rubbed the back of his neck. "When she first wakes up. There will be...things we will need to talk about. Things we feel would be best in a calm setting. Just the three of us."

"That's no fair!" Lola yelled with a stamp of her foot. "She's our sister! We wanna see her!"

"You can't keep her to yourselves!" Lana added, also stomping her foot.

The other girls and Lincoln argue to the parents, until Dad gave a shrill whistle. "Enough!" Silence. "I know you kids are worried about your sister, we all are. But right now we have to focus on her needs! Your mother and I will sort things out with Lynn, okay?" There was a mumbled agreement among the children. "Good. Now everyone head to bed."

The next day, Mom and Dad left behind their upset children to see Lynn. As well as scolding Lucy when they found her hiding in the very back of Vanzilla. When they reached Lynn's room, they found she was awake. Unlike the other day, she was fully responsive. She looked less pale, but the look in her eyes...They looked broken. She was the first to speak. "Mom...D-Dad..." She whispered in a husky, tired voice. She tried to say something else, but simply broke down into heavy sobbing. Mom and Dad were by her side in an instant, smothering their child in a warm embrace. Lynn kept trying to talk, but could only get out "My leg...M-My leg..." over and over again. Mom and Dad were in a similar situation, telling Lynn over and over how sorry they were. How they wished this never happened.

After what felt like hours, the tears finally stopped, and the three separated. Dad placed his hand on Lynn's shoulder as she wiped the last tears from her eyes. "Your sisters and Lincoln are really worried about you, you know. They've got you on the brain." He said, trying to cheer his daughter up a little.

Lynn looked out in the hallway. No one. "Where...Where are they?" She THOUGHT it was oddly quiet...

Mom wrung her hands. "Well...We thought the first visit while you were awake should be...well, calm. We had them stay home for today."

"Good." Lynn instantly replied. She actually sounded...relieved?

"What? What do you mean "good"?" Dad asked. "Don't you want to see your siblings?"

Lynn let out a sigh, looking down at her legs...leg. "Of course I do. You know I do. But...I don't want them seeing ME. Not like this." She gripped her sheets tightly. "Not all...broken and weak..."

This shattered her parents' hearts. Mom broke down sobbing into her hands while Dad managed to keep a brave face. "Lynn...They don't care about how you look. They LOVE you, they want to be there for you. Don't you get that?"

"I know...I know they do, and I love them. I just...want to be at the best that I can when they see me again. Please, Mom...Dad...please do this for me." Lynn begged, her eyes brimming with tears.

Mom composed herself, looking at Dad, who let out a sigh. "I...I suppose if it's truly what you want...Though they won't be happy with it.

And he was right. The past two weeks went by at a snail's pace for the children, barely getting a good night's rest and begging their parents to break the promise with Lynn, which fell on deaf ears. The only sibling to know Lynn's reasoning was Lori, as she was the only one who could get everyone to the hospital. The parents trusted her to keep her little sisters' interests in mind, which she did. They were besides themselves with excitement when Mom and Dad left to go pick Lynn up to bring her up. As soon as they left, the group was abuzz with conversation. "You think she'll be okay?" Lana asked.

"Most unlikely. Incidents like these tend to cause a great deal of trauma." Lisa answered, glancing over some notes she compiled on the situation.

"Isn't that a type of salad? Is she bringing dinner home?" Leni asked, getting no answer aside from some frustrated sighs from her siblings.

"Well, there's one thing we need to remember," Lincoln half-yelled to get everyone's attention. "We can't show her pity, no matter how much we may want to."

"What do you mean?" Lola asked.

"Like...Remember that time when Lynn broke her leg? She didn't want any help with anything, she wanted to be treated just like she usually was. I think it's some sort of...pride thing." This made sense. Lincoln's sisters nodded a bit. "Maybe this is why she didn't want us visiting her. So we wouldn't see her in this state." He added. "It's really the only explanation I can think of."

Lori let out a sigh. "He's right. That's entirely the reason." She spoke up. She got some questioning looks from her siblings. "Mom and Dad told me the day of their second visit. I wasn't supposed to tell you guys...but Lincoln figured it out, so I guess I might as well."

"Well, why didn't you tell us?!" Luan asked. "We were all worried about her!"

"Because Mom and Dad made me promise not to! They were probably worried you all would blab or something!" Lori countered. "Don't be mad at ME over it!" And so the kids started to argue...and argue...and argue. They were so wrapped up in it, they didn't hear when Vanzilla eventually pulled up into the driveway, but they heard one of the doors shutting. At least, Lori did. "Hey, wait!" She yelled, halting everyone else. "They're home!"

Everyone practically flew to the window to see that Lori was correct. Mom and Dad were outside, opening the side door of Vanzilla. They pulled a folded-up wheelchair and got it set up. Then they all saw Lynn and gasped. They had spent two weeks wondering what Lynn would look like, some of the older sisters and Lincoln even looked up amputees on the internet to get a grasp on what they looked like. It didn't prepare them to see their sister. Seeing strangers was one thing, seeing their own flesh-and-blood was another. Lynn looked fine, but the right hole of her usual shorts was just...empty. Blank space where a limb should have been. It made some of the older siblings feel sick to their stomach. Lynn scooted from the seat in Vanzilla to the wheelchair, refusing the offerings of help Mom and Dad gave her. Surprisingly, she managed to get in without much trouble and rolled her way to the front door...only to be stopped by the stairs. She seemed to be more aware of them than all of her siblings watching out the window. With Lynn this close, they could see her eyes, her haunting eyes. They were still, after two weeks, so empty of life. It broke their hearts.

The siblings moved away from the window and went upstairs. They didn't want to be seen gawking out the window, didn't want to rush Lynn as soon as she went in the door. With the use of a ramp Dad had made, Lynn managed to roll up the door, where Mom opened it for her. She rolled right in, seeing no one. "Hellooo! Where is everyone?!" She called out. There was the sound akin to a bull stampede as ten siblings rushed down the stairs to see their sister. There was a shout of "LLLYYYNNN!" as the crippled Loud was enveloped in a somewhat awkward group hug thanks to the wheelchair.

"We missed you!" Lana and Lola said in unison.

"Our room felt so empty without you. And not in the welcoming, haunting way." Lucy added.

"It's so good to have you back!" Lincoln said.

"Bababoo!" This one was from Lily, who somehow wound up on Lynn's remaining leg, standing up and patting her sister on the face.

Lynn was taken back by this. She was expecting it; but it just felt odd. She usually wasn't in the middle of these group hugs. She had been feeling so empty and dead inside, for every waking moment since the surgery. But right now...she felt warm inside...if only for a moment. "I missed you guys too, I really did." She whimpered back, starting to once again tear up. For the first time in what felt like years, they were tears of joy; with Lynn being overwhelmed by her family's love.

"Now, now. Don't smother your sister, kids. She just got home and is still recovering from surgery." Mom said, though not unkindly as the scene before her made her heart melt. "Your father and I have to go back to our jobs, which means Lori is in charge."

"So you kids all behave, okay?" Dad added. There was a chorus of "Yes, Mom and Dad" as the two parents left the home.

After the door closed, Lynn immediately clapped her hands. "So! What's in the fridge? I'm starving!" She spoke in an oddly calm, upbeat manner. She started to wheel her way to the kitchen, maneuvering around tables and chairs in her way.

"Uh, Lynn? You okay?" Lola asked, as the group followed her sister. Lily was sitting on Lynn's lap, enjoying the "ride".

Lynn called back without looking. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine!" She made it to the kitchen and, with some trouble, opened the fridge door and started to look around. "Let's see what we have here..."

"Do, uh...You want one of us to get it for you...?" Leni asked, causing the older half of the family to silently wince.

Lynn froze as she reached for a protein shake. After a second, she carried on like nothing happened. "No, I got it. Why would I need you to do that?" She shook up the shake and started to down it, closing the fridge door. "I tell ya, hospitals do NOT have very good food. It all tastes like cardboard! Yech! Right, Lily? Yeeech!" She said the last part to Lily in a "baby talk" voice, getting a giggle out of the baby.

"Uh...Right." Lincoln said. Everyone was so confused. Lynn was acting so...happy, like nothing had happened. Was she really okay...?

Lisa approached Lynn, who was gulping down her shake. "Lynn, if you would, I would like to talk about your emotional state." Well, one could never say Lisa wasn't blunt. The rest of the siblings froze. What was she THINKING?

Lynn squinted at her little sister. "What are you talking about about, Lisa?"

Lisa sighed, looking at a notepad of hers. "It seems you are experiences some sort of repression of your emotions. It is totally normal for a situation like this, but it is important to be honest about your feelings."

The sisters and Lincoln watched on in horror. Lynn simply stared at Lisa for a few moments. "Lisa. Just shut up." She practically growled through her teeth. The anger made Lily uncomfortable and whine a bit. "You don't know what you're talking about. So drop it." Her voice was quiet, but dripping with enough venom to get Lisa to back away. After that, Lynn started to tickle at Lily to cheer her up again.

"Whoah...That was intense..." Luna whispered to her siblings.

"Just like that fire at the circus. Haha, get it!?" Luan joked. Everyone just ignored her.

Lynn clapped again, getting everyone's attention. "Who's up for some sports!? There's probably a good game on! Whooo!" She made her way to the living room, with the group following her.

There was something wrong with Lynn, but it was clear she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. There was a silent agreement from the other siblings not to bring it up again anytime soon.

The rest of the day went like this. Lynn was acting like nothing bad had happened. None of the other sisters or Lincoln brought up her feelings, or the missing leg. They were too scared to. That night, when Lynn was going to bed...well, she needed help. "Lynn, are you okay?" Lincoln asked.

Lynn sighed, looking down at her wheelchair. "I...uh...I think I do." Lincoln offered her a hand, which she took. She leaned against Lincoln as she hobbled up the stairs. This was something she'd have to learn to do on her own and FAST. She didn't like relying on her siblings like this. Not even now. "Thanks, Linc." She mumbled as they got to the top of the stairs. "I just need to get to my room. I have crutches under the bed." Lincoln nodded and helped her there. Sprained ankles and broken legs were far from unusual for Lynn, so she kept a pair of crutches in her room. As she was seated on the bed, she sighed. "Thanks..."

"It's no problem, Lynn." Lincoln said, sitting next to his sister. "I'm happy to help, you know." He really was, he would do anything for his sister; especially now. There was an awkward pause. "Lynn..." He started.

"No. Don't start. Please..." Lynn begged, starting to look upset. She didn't want his pity. She just wanted things to go back to how they used to be.

"Lynn, this isn't healthy." Lincoln countered. "I'm not a doctor, but I know bottling up emotions like this can't be good for you. I can be here for you to vent to, just me. If that's what you want." He let out a sigh. "You don't have to share everything, but I can at least be a shoulder to cry on."

Lynn sat and thought. Inside, she knew this was the right thing to do. She felt so empty and dead...she needed someone. "If...If you really want to do that." Lincoln smiled and nodded. "Thanks, bro...Is...Is it okay if we start now?"

"Sure. Just let out anything you want to, okay?" Lincoln said, wrapping an arm around his sister's shoulder.

Lynn took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. She stared at the missing space where her right leg should be. "I feel so worthless now." She muttered, sounding as emotionless as Lucy usually does. "Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be an athlete. In any sport; football, baseball, soccer...anything." Except golf. What a dull sport. "And without my leg...I...can't do that anymore. My dreams are gone; taken from me so UNFAIRLY." She yelled the last part, starting to tear up. "Why did happen to me, Lincoln? What did I do wrong?"

Lincoln gave Lynn a warm hug, letting her cry into his shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong, Lynn...Sometimes terrible things happen to good people...It isn't fair..." He said, trying to keep strong for his sister.

The two remained like this for a few minutes; until Lynn dried out and fell asleep on her brother's shoulder, having been exhausted the whole day. Smiling a bit, he laid her down on her bed gently, and left the room. Over the next few weeks, talks like this took place in private. Lynn opening herself to Lincoln more and more; and he was there for her each step of the way. It was one day that changed everything. Lincoln saw an article that lead him to discover an athlete without a leg, one who played sports despite it. There were special sporting events for guys just like him. Just like Lynn. "Do...you really think I can do it?" Lynn asked. Lincoln had told her about what he discovered, and suggested she go for it.

"Yes, of course!" Lincoln replied. The two were in the backyard, looking out at various sports equipment. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't think you could. Of course...you're going to need a coach..." He got a whistle out from his pocket, putting it around his neck.

Lynn's eyes widened. "You'd...really do that for me?"

"What are siblings for, Lynn? Now come on, we gotta get started! Get those crutches ready, we're starting with soccer!" Lincoln blew his whistle. With a yell of "Yes coach!" Lynn got ready for the road ahead of her. One that she and Lincoln would walk together, each step of the way.


End file.
